William Driver
Encyclopedia
William Driver was a U.S.
ship captain. He coined the phrase Old Glory
for the U.S.
flag.
Young Capt. William Driver of Salem, Massachusetts
was presented a beautiful flag by his family and a group of friends. Driver was delighted with the gift. He exclaimed, "I name her 'Old Glory
,'" and Old Glory subsequently accompanied the captain on his voyages. Driver later stated that he received the flag on his birthday, in the year 1831.
Driver made his most extensive voyage in 1831-1832, when he captained the 110-ton whaler
Charles Doggett. He called at Tahiti
during the trip, where he met some of the descendants of the crew of H.M.S. Bounty. They had moved there from Pitcairn Island
, where their ancestors had famously been marooned by the mutineers who had taken control of the Bounty. However, they were unhappy in Tahiti and requested that Driver give them passage back to Pitcairn. He did so, and reportedly slept on deck to allow more room for the women and children in the bunks below.
Captain Driver quit the sea in 1837. He settled in Nashville, Tennessee
, where he had relatives living. On patriotic days he displayed Old Glory proudly from a rope extending from his house to a tree across the street. As the Civil War
began, after Tennessee
seceded from the Union in 1861, Driver feared that Old Glory might be confiscated or destroyed by the Confederate
authorities. He hid the flag, having it sewn inside a comforter. When Union soldiers entered Nashville on February 25, 1862, Driver removed Old Glory from its hiding place. He carried the flag to the Tennessee State Capitol
and raised it on the capitol flagpole. He is said to have remained on watch all that night to ensure that the flag came to no harm.
Shortly before his death, the old sea captain placed a small bundle into the arms of his daughter. He said to her, "Mary Jane, this is my ship flag, Old Glory. It has been my constant companion. I love it as a mother loves her child. Cherish it as I have cherished it." Captain Driver is buried in Nashville's historic City Cemetery
, under an unusual marker of his own design—a ship's anchor leaning against a vine-covered tree. By a special act of Congress
, Driver's gravesite is one of several places in the United States, including the grave of Francis Scott Key
, where a flag is flown twenty four hours a day. His house, where Old Glory so often flew, no longer exists, but a historical plaque near its location on Fifth Avenue South commemorates him.
Mary Jane took the flag with her as she married and moved, first to Nevada
and then to California
, occasionally displaying it at or near her home. In the early 1900s, she sewed the deteriorating flag to a bedsheet in order to stabilize it.
The flag remained as a precious heirloom in the Driver family until 1922. Then it was sent to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C.
, where it is carefully preserved under glass today. It and the flag which flew over Fort McHenry
during the British bombardment of 1814, inspiring Francis Scott Key
to write the The Star-Spangled Banner
, are considered the two most historically significant flags in the country and two of the greatest treasures of the Smithsonian.
In 2006, the Smithsonian Institution agreed to a one-time loan of Old Glory to the Tennessee State Museum
. The exhibit was presented from March to November and included other Driver memorabilia from the Tennessee state archives, such as the Charles Doggett's logbook and some of Driver's personal journals. The exhibit title was Old Glory: An American Treasure Comes Home.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ship captain. He coined the phrase Old Glory
Old Glory
Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
for the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
flag.
Young Capt. William Driver of Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
was presented a beautiful flag by his family and a group of friends. Driver was delighted with the gift. He exclaimed, "I name her 'Old Glory
Old Glory
Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
,'" and Old Glory subsequently accompanied the captain on his voyages. Driver later stated that he received the flag on his birthday, in the year 1831.
Driver made his most extensive voyage in 1831-1832, when he captained the 110-ton whaler
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
Charles Doggett. He called at Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
during the trip, where he met some of the descendants of the crew of H.M.S. Bounty. They had moved there from Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
, where their ancestors had famously been marooned by the mutineers who had taken control of the Bounty. However, they were unhappy in Tahiti and requested that Driver give them passage back to Pitcairn. He did so, and reportedly slept on deck to allow more room for the women and children in the bunks below.
Captain Driver quit the sea in 1837. He settled in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where he had relatives living. On patriotic days he displayed Old Glory proudly from a rope extending from his house to a tree across the street. As the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began, after Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
seceded from the Union in 1861, Driver feared that Old Glory might be confiscated or destroyed by the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
authorities. He hid the flag, having it sewn inside a comforter. When Union soldiers entered Nashville on February 25, 1862, Driver removed Old Glory from its hiding place. He carried the flag to the Tennessee State Capitol
Tennessee State Capitol
The Tennessee State Capitol, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is the home of the Tennessee legislature, the location of the governor's office, and a National Historic Landmark. Designed by architect William Strickland, it is one of Nashville's most prominent examples of Greek Revival architecture...
and raised it on the capitol flagpole. He is said to have remained on watch all that night to ensure that the flag came to no harm.
Shortly before his death, the old sea captain placed a small bundle into the arms of his daughter. He said to her, "Mary Jane, this is my ship flag, Old Glory. It has been my constant companion. I love it as a mother loves her child. Cherish it as I have cherished it." Captain Driver is buried in Nashville's historic City Cemetery
Nashville City Cemetery
Nashville City Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville's prominent historical figures are buried there....
, under an unusual marker of his own design—a ship's anchor leaning against a vine-covered tree. By a special act of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, Driver's gravesite is one of several places in the United States, including the grave of Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
, where a flag is flown twenty four hours a day. His house, where Old Glory so often flew, no longer exists, but a historical plaque near its location on Fifth Avenue South commemorates him.
Mary Jane took the flag with her as she married and moved, first to Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and then to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, occasionally displaying it at or near her home. In the early 1900s, she sewed the deteriorating flag to a bedsheet in order to stabilize it.
The flag remained as a precious heirloom in the Driver family until 1922. Then it was sent to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where it is carefully preserved under glass today. It and the flag which flew over Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
during the British bombardment of 1814, inspiring Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
to write the The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
, are considered the two most historically significant flags in the country and two of the greatest treasures of the Smithsonian.
In 2006, the Smithsonian Institution agreed to a one-time loan of Old Glory to the Tennessee State Museum
Tennessee State Museum
Tennessee State Museum is a large museum in Nashville depicting the history of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Starting from pre-colonization and going all the way to the 20th century, the museum describes the American Civil War, the Frontier, and the Age of Jackson. The museum includes an area of...
. The exhibit was presented from March to November and included other Driver memorabilia from the Tennessee state archives, such as the Charles Doggett's logbook and some of Driver's personal journals. The exhibit title was Old Glory: An American Treasure Comes Home.